Silent Tears, Silent Fears
by ddgorgeous
Summary: When Morgan attempts to help Spencer recover from his loss, he becomes the target of his friend's rage and anger causing a rift between the two that may cost both of them their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Silent Tears, Silent Fears takes place several weeks after Spencer's girl friend, Maeve is brutally killed (CM Season 8 Episode 12).**

**Once the team located Maeve, the team prepares to enter the apartment where she is being held. Morgan promises Reid that they would bring Maeve out alive. Unfortunately, Maeve was killed before their eyes, devastating Reid.**

**This story begins when Reid returns to work, perhaps too soon and struggles with his pain, anger and grief while looking for someone to blame.**

**BAU Headquarters- Break Room – Morning**

Today was supposed to be Reid's first day back since Maeve's death. He had planned to return a couple of weeks ago but he couldn't bring himself to come back. Even now as the team slowly began to arrive, no one was really sure if he'd actually show up. Hotch was determined to be patient and give him the time he needed. The sight of Maeve being so brutally killed before their eyes was tough on the team and it was horrific for Spencer and the team wasn't sure if he would be able to survive it. The team had made several attempts to keep in touch with him and on several occasions Morgan had cleverly engaged him in a few cases. But once Spencer realized Morgan's plan he would quickly shut down again and retreat to the dark, depressing space that he had created around his mind and heart.

Morgan had taken it upon himself from the moment young Spencer had joined the BAU to look out for him and protect him. He knew his place was not like the rest on the team. His mind was the valuable commodity not his brawn or shooting ability. No, it was his mind, his rare ability to remember everything he saw and heard and it seemed that his life's destiny had led him to his special place on this team. Morgan knew that the things they had seen and experienced affected each one of them in profound ways. The job had spilled over into the private and personal lives of each of them. Reid had always seemed so fragile yet he had endured more than even the strongest of them could have handled and he wondered if this perhaps was his breaking point. Morgan had assumed the role of big brother and mentor to Spencer and Spencer looked up to Morgan and admired his strength and dedication to those he loved. Still, Morgan was worried about his friend. He didn't think he was ready to return but he also knew that his return would be a part of his healing.

Morgan was happy to see that Spencer had shown up. He looked frail but at least he'd still maintained his habit of drinking coffee with an overabundance of sugar. Trying to make things seem as normal as possible he greeted him in a familiar fashion.

"Hey Pretty Boy! You made it!" Morgan grabbed his coffee cup and waited for Spencer to finish filling his cup.

Spencer ignored Morgan and began pouring sugar into his cup as if he'd not heard his friend's greeting.

"Hey, Reid, you okay?" He was tempted to muss his hair but thought better of it.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Still not looking up.

"Welcome back, genius." Morgan tried again to reach him.

Spencer continued to look down, focusing on his coffee cup. Morgan was puzzled, not sure what to make of his odd behavior. Spencer abruptly turned to leave nearly running into Morgan.

"Excuse me." Reid bolted toward the door but was stopped as Morgan gently grabbed his arm.

"Look, Reid, no one is expecting you to act like nothing's happened. We're here for you…all of us. If you want to talk, you know I'm right here…any time."

"Thank you but I think I've heard enough talking to last a lifetime."

"Reid? Come on talk to me."

"Morgan, don't you get it? I don't want to talk to you! The last time I talked to you, you promised to bring Maeve home safe and that's not what happened!"

"Reid, I'm so sorry about Maeve. I didn't want that to happen, you know that!"

"But it did, didn't it! No 'Sorry' will change that will it?"

"No I guess it won't. Reid are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm not sure about much of anything any more. But there is one thing I'm sure about."

"What's that?"

"I want you to leave me alone! Stop pretending to be my friend! It's all a lie!"

"Reid I am your friend! What are you talking about?"

"Oh yeah? Well friends don't break promises! You promised to bring her out safe and you didn't!"

"Reid, c'mon, are you serious? Are you blaming me for Maeve's death?" Morgan couldn't believe the conversation they were having.

Reid jerked away from Morgan's grasp and turned to look him in the eyes for the first time since the two began talking.

"Look Morgan, I don't want to discuss this any further. Just please leave me alone. We're not friends, okay? Just…just stay out of my life!"

Morgan was stunned. It was as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. He'd never seen Spencer like this and with all they had gone through together he never imagined ever having a conversation like this with anyone on this team. They were like family, practically living together, spending more time together than with their real families.

Rossi was standing outside of the break room in the hallway. He'd heard much of the exchange between Morgan and Reid. He wondered if he should have gone in to interrupt but something kept him still outside, unseen in the hallway. Reid brushed passed him without acknowledging him and the look in his eyes told him he was not ready to be there. Things were still too raw and judging by the conversation he'd just overheard, his emotions were irrational and out of control.

Rossi entered the room, pretending to not have heard anything. Morgan looked shaken as he stood leaning against the counter next to the coffee machine.

"I see Spencer actually came in." Rossi looked at Morgan trying to gage his mood.

"Um…yeah he made it in." Morgan was barely able to concentrate on Rossi.

"How'd he seem to you?" Rossi was still fishing.

"He seems a little shaky but he'll be okay."

"Are you okay?" Rossi looked at his friend, concerned.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Morgan was confused by the question and Rossi now had his full attention.

"No reason. I know how you've been worried about him since all this happened."

"Yeah well; I don't think I need to do that anymore. He'll be fine." Morgan grabbed his cup and left the room.

Rossi could see the hurt in Morgan's eyes even though he had tried so hard to hide it and pretend the conversation with Spencer had never happened.

Hotch, JJ, Alex, Penelope and Reid were already seated around the conference table when Morgan and then finally Rossi arrived. Everyone examined Reid in true profiler fashion wondering if he were ready to jump back into the nightmare world of the BAU. They each had a folder in front of them, which represented their next case.

The case involved the killings of five men in San Diego, California. Each had been tortured and their tongues had been cut out post mortem; the cause of death was exsanguination when their wrists were slashed.

"They bled to death." Rossi stared intently at the picture of the victims.

"With this level of torture there was a lot of rage." Spencer seemed to have picked up where he'd left off two months ago.

"Look at the way he left them; definitely no remorse." JJ added.

"He dumped the bodies in high traffic areas which means he didn't care if they were found." Morgan added.

"The removal of the victims' tongues could be the UnSubs attempt to punish the victims for remaining silent about something important to him." Alex a linguistics expert, focused intently on the pictures.

"These men were all the same age, so our UnSub may know the victims. Garcia find out if the victims knew each other and get me everything you can find on them." Hotch ordered.

"You got it." Garcia began making notes on a yellow legal pad.

"Wheels up in thirty." Hotch stood and headed toward the door.

The team headed out of the offices. Garcia noticed Morgan's quiet mood and stopped him before he reached the door.

"Isn't it great that Reid is back?"

"Yeah Garcia, it's great. Look, I've got to go." Morgan didn't want to discuss Reid.

"Morgan, listen, I know you always keep an eye out for him but can you keep extra special care of him this time?"

"Garcia, Reid will be fine. He doesn't need me to keep an eye on him."

"What do you mean? That's what you do."

"Well, not anymore." Morgan rushed out leaving Garcia speechless and looking after him.

**San Diego Police Dept. – Evening**

Later that evening, the team arrived in San Diego. Once they entered the downtown main precinct, they were greeted by Detective Reese Romero a 20-year veteran of the SDPD. He wasn't used to asking for help but this case was way beyond anything he'd seen in all his years on the force. He had a small conference room already set up for the team and after exchanging introductions they quickly went to work.

After a while Garcia discovered that all of the victims attended San Diego Valley High School. All had been starters on the football team and were very popular. In their senior year, each victim had been questioned in the death of another student but were never charged. The murdered student was an honor student that was Harvard bound until he was brutally murdered on his way to school one week before graduation.

"The murdered student was named Michael Travers and he had a younger brother, Nathan."

"Where's the brother now, Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"Shortly after his brother's death the family moved to a small town about an hour north of San Diego, called Murrieta. Nathan seems to have dropped off the radar after he graduated from high school two years later."

"Keep looking, Garcia, these could be revenge killings; everyone on that football team could be targets." Hotch added.

"Garcia what about the parents?" JJ chimed in.

Garcia began frantically clicking and searching cyberspace.

"Bingo!"

"What is it Garcia?" Hotch looked up.

"The father died five years ago and mom died two weeks ago from a massive heart attack."

"That was the stressor." Said Morgan.

As the team was meeting, Detective Romero entered with the news that another man had been reported missing. Bertrum Myers was also on the same football team and had also been questioned about the murder of Michael Travers. Hotch and the others knew that they had less than eight hours to find Myers and time was running out.

"Hello, my Super Crime Fighters!" Garcia's voice sounded over the laptop in the center of the table.

"Tell me something good, Baby Girl." Morgan said.

"You're gonna love this, Handsome. Travers' family owned a carpet company in National City they have two locations both two miles from the dump sight. I've sent the address to your tablets."

"Thanks, Baby Girl. You're the best!"

"I couldn't agree with you more." Garcia loved knowing she'd contributed to the cases and especially if it was the break they needed.

"Morgan and Reid you go to the location on Palm Street, Dave, JJ and I will go to the Plaza location; Alex there are seven more potential victims that we need to find, work with Garcia and get them down here." Hotch ordered.

Morgan and Reid stood momentarily frozen. This morning's conversation had changed everything. Reid wouldn't even look at Morgan; Morgan kept looking at Reid searching for the little brother that he had gotten to know over the years and grown to care deeply for.

"You okay with this Reid?" Morgan expected Reid to lash out at him again.

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be? We have a job to do so let's do it." Reid shot a quick glance at Morgan and headed toward the door.

Rossi looked at Hotch as if he had lost his mind.

"You think that was wise?"

"What?"

"You don't think that the fact the Reid wants to strangle Morgan won't effect how they work this case?"

"Dave, Reid isn't really mad at Morgan. He's angry at what happened and Morgan is the target of that rage but if he's going to be on this team he's going to have to realize that Morgan couldn't have prevented Maeve's death."

"What about Morgan?"

"Morgan can handle Reid. Bottom line, he'll get the job done."

Rossi shook his head in disbelief as the two men headed out toward their SUV. He had told Hotch about Morgan and Reid's earlier conversation. They all were worried about Reid but no one more than Morgan and now it seemed that Morgan was the one taking the heat for the team's failed rescue of Maeve.

The drive to the warehouse was quiet. Morgan drove as usual while Reid sat silent in the passenger's seat. Morgan wanted to settle this craziness between them but he didn't know how and he didn't know what to say.

He knew it would be dangerous walking into a large warehouse that was unfamiliar and dark but it was even more so when your partner was distracted. Morgan had the difficult task of walking into the dark unknown with an emotionally crippled man who was angry beyond reason. This was the worse possible scenario that could end badly.

As soon as Morgan and Reid arrived, Reid immediately jumped out and headed to the warehouse without saying a word to Morgan.

"Reid! What are you doing?"

"I'm going inside. That's why we're here, right?"

"Yes, but we need to be careful. For all we know Travers is watching us right now."

Morgan looked at Reid as he continued to walk away. He wasn't listening to anything Morgan was saying. Morgan stood for a moment watching as Reid headed toward the side door and without hesitation walked in.

Rossi and Hotch had arrived at the other location and found that it was a small office. Shortly after entering they discovered it was empty. The two called Garcia and headed to the warehouse where Morgan and Reid had gone.

Gun drawn Morgan approached the side door and slowly opened it hoping to find Reid waiting for him but what he found instead was his worse nightmare.

"Come on in agent."

Travers flipped a light switch and the room was immediately illuminated. He was a large man and he towered over the small frame of Spencer Reid who he stood behind with a gun pressed to the side of his head. Morgan's heart dropped as he saw the terror on Reid's face.

"Take it easy, man. You're in control, just please be careful."

"I can't say I wasn't expecting you. I'm famous…all over the news…"

"So then you know you're not going to get away with this, right?" Morgan said calmly.

"I'm not really worried about that. I've done what I set out to do."

"Yea and what was that?" Morgan asked.

"Revenge."

"Revenge, for what?" Morgan focused on Travers watching for the first sign that he could put him down without injuring Reid.

"I still have a few more names on my list and you two are in my way."

"I'm sorry, Morgan. I should have waited like you said." Reid was shaking now as he watched Morgan.

"Don't worry about it kid."

Travers began walking backward with his arm around Reid, further into the warehouse. Morgan followed with his gun still trained on Travers.

"Let him go."

Morgan saw their latest victim, Bertrum chained to the wall bleeding and barely conscious.

"Drop your gun agent or I'll kill your friend before you can pull that trigger…NOW!"

"Okay, okay." Morgan slowly and reluctantly bent down and placed his gun on the ground. As Morgan stood up Travers moved his gun away from Reid, and pointed it directly at Morgan.

There was no time to reason, no time to change his mind. He was out of control and his plan to avenge his brother's death quickly unraveling. There were two federal agents standing in his way and he wasn't going to be stopped not when he was only half way finished. So, with a calm cool resolve, he looked at the agent across from him, steadied his hand and pulled the trigger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter two. Thanks to all of you who have read my first chapter. Thanks for the reviews as well. Please keep reading and reviewing it really helps as the story develops.**

Travers paced the room momentarily unconcerned with the fact that he had an injured man chained to the wall and that he'd just shot a federal agent. His only concern was that this was not what he had planned. He still had seven names on his list and he was nowhere near finished making them pay for what they'd done. How had it been so easy for them to figure it out and find him? Michael was the smart one and he would have made a much better plan.

Travers knew more agents would be arriving soon and his thought was confirmed when he heard noise outside. Glancing over at the two agents he moved swiftly to the front door window and saw a black SUV identical to the one already parked out front. Then the headlights of several other cars pulled up and uniformed men and women began getting out talking amongst themselves.

Rossi had tried calling Morgan and when he didn't get an answer he tried Reid, still no answer. He knew something was wrong. Hotch drove the two of them to the other location where they saw the other SUV. There was a light on inside the warehouse.

"This doesn't look good." Rossi said.

Hotch's phone rang, Derek's name flashed across the screen.

"Morgan!"

"No, I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"What do you want Travers?" Hotch shot a glance at Rossi.

"I want out of here. I've got unfinished business."

"I need to speak with my agents first."

"I'm calling the shots here!"

"I need to talk to my agents now or I can't help you." Hotch insisted.

Hotch heard the dead buzz as the call was abruptly ended.

Reid knelt beside Morgan as he laid on the floor bleeding. Travers bullet had hit him in his chest above his heart. Luckily, he was wearing a vest, but because of the closeness of range the bullet still managed to injure his partner. Reid tried to stop the bleeding with his hand but it wasn't working. Morgan was barely conscious and in a lot of pain.

"Morgan! I'm sorry, please don't die! This is my fault!"

Morgan tried to make sense of what was happening. He saw Reid pressing his hand over his heart and he felt himself fading into a fog. He had to get them out of there but he couldn't move.

"Why did you shoot him? You just made everything worse!" Reid yelled.

"They killed my brother!"

Travers kept pacing and talking, rubbing his forehead with one hand and the other holding the gun down to his side.

"My brother always knew what to do! He'd always tell me what to do to get us out of trouble!"

"Your brother is dead and you have to let us go. He needs a doctor!"

"Shut up! Let me think!" He yelled his voice shaking.

"Reid!" Morgan's voice a whisper strained with pain.

Reid looked down at Morgan fearfully, the morning's conversation suddenly hitting him full force in the face.

"Reid. Listen to me. You've got to calm him down."

Morgan grimaced struggling to sit up.

"Don't move. We've got to stop the bleeding…"

"It's not as bad as it looks. Help me sit up." Morgan's voice was a strained whisper.

Reid without further protest helped Morgan sit up. Travers quickly moved toward the two and pointed the gun at Reid's head.

"No talking!" Travers roared.

Reid froze his minded began to race and he knew it was up to him to get them out of this situation. Reid looked at Morgan who was grimacing against the pain leaning against the wall, eyes closed.

"He needs a doctor." Reid said calmly. "If he dies then you'll never get the chance to finish what you started."

Travers slowly lowered his gun and took a step back. Reid knew he'd made slight progress in getting through to this desperate man.

"Where are your handcuffs?"

"My handcuffs?" Maybe he had overestimated his progress, he thought.

"Yeah! Your handcuffs! And his too…get them! Now!"

Reid removed his hand from Morgan's wound and grabbed Morgan's cuffs and handed them to Travers.

"Now yours!" Travers shouted grabbing the cuffs from Reid.

Reid carefully took his cuffs from his jacket pocket and handed them to Travers as well.

"I need to stop the bleeding."

Travers looked around the room until he saw a roll of paper towels sitting on the counter over a small sink.

"There!" He pointed toward the sink. "Use those…"

Reid stood quickly and took a step toward the sink.

"And don't try anything smart or I'll finish your friend off right now." He pointed the gun at Morgan.

Nearly running, Reid rushed and grabbed the towels. Travers watched Reid while he unrolled several of the towels and wrapped them up and placed them under Morgan's vest. Morgan hadn't moved much since he was shot but he jumped and winced in pain as Reid put the towels in place.

"Now, put the handcuffs on him."

"Why? He can't get away he's hurt!"

"I said, put the cuffs on him!"

Reid reluctantly placed a cuff on Morgan's wrist. Morgan glanced at Reid and nodded.

"Behind his back!"

"No! It's…"

"It's okay, Reid. Just do it." Morgan whispered.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, kid."

Morgan couldn't stop a cry of pain as Reid moved his arms behind his back and clamped the cuffs around his other wrist.

Travers watched approvingly smirking as if he were enjoying his power over the two.

"Now what?" Reid asked.

"Now you get to keep my friend over here company."

Travers shot a glance at Bertrum who had been watching the three through the haze of his own pain.

SWAT had set up their command post and had snipers on the ready waiting for orders. Hotch had convinced the SWAT commander to not make a move until he'd had a chance to talk the man out of the building. He knew he didn't have a lot of time and the fact that he hadn't been allowed to talk to his agents was not a good sign.

"What's the plan?" Rossi asked. He couldn't help noticing the strained look on Hotch's face.

"We got to get him talking to us otherwise this is going to be a very short evening."

Reid was now handcuffed next to Bertrum. He had to get through to Travers somehow otherwise they'd all die.

"You get to watch Bertrum here die tonight, Agent."

"Why? What will that accomplish?"

"He will pay for what he did! That's what it will accomplish!"

"It won't bring Michael back though, will it?"

Travers pointed the gun at Bertrum's temple. The frightened man closed his eyes and whimpered in fear. Reid did not want to witness another murder up close; close enough to feel the splatter of another man's blood on him. He watched as Travers' index finger wrapped around the trigger.

"Tell me about your brother! Tell me about Michael." He said hurriedly.

Reid watched as Travers face softened and the gun slowly lowered to his side, his eyes still fixed angrily on Bertrum.

"He was kind. Never hurt a soul." A tear fell and slid slowly down his face. He was my best friend…always looking out for me…always had time for me…"

"You were pretty lucky to have a brother like that."

Travers took a step away from Bertrum and looked at Reid.

"Yeah. I was damn lucky until they took him away."

"You think he'd want you doing this?"

Ignoring the question, Travers turned his back and walked a few steps away.

"You have a brother, Agent?" He said back still turned. "Cuz unless you have a brother like Michael, you don't know what you're talking about."

Reid looked at Morgan who sat quietly across the room his eyes now closed. He wasn't sure what Morgan's status was or if he was even conscious. He was still and he could barely see his chest moving when he breathed.

"Yeah. I have a brother or I at least I did."

_**Thanks for reading! Chapter three coming soon…**_


	3. Chapter 3

"You _had _a brother?" Travers slowly turned back to face Reid. "What happened to him?"

Morgan opened his eyes and looked across at Reid. Even at the distance he could see a strange mix of fear and anger in his eyes.

"I realized he wasn't who I thought he was."

"What did he do?"

"He lied."

Bertrum Myers, the sixth man on Nathan Travers list moaned in pain interrupting the conversation.

"You're going to have to talk to them, you know." Reid tried changing the subject. "They'll be calling back and if you want to get out of here, you're going to have to talk to them."

Travers rushed over to Bertrum, still moaning and bleeding and shoved the gun in his face. Sneering he watched as the man squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered in fear.

"Football right? Maybe even basketball?" Reid felt his own desperation now.

Travers pressed the gun harder against the man's forehead, his sweat dripping in the Bertrum's face.

"Yeah, so what!"

"I can tell. You're a big guy; 6'5, 230?"

"6'5 ½, 245!"

Travers never flinched, his focus still on Bertrum, who was now shaking uncontrollably.

Reid felt his heart speed up another notch as Travers' index finger wrapped around the trigger. The loud shrill of the business phone rang grabbing Travers' attention.

The phone rang again; he looked over trying to decide if he were going to answer.

"Answer the phone, Nathan."

Again the phone rang.

"Nathan…Can I call you Nathan? Answer it. Tell them what you want."

Travers stepped back from Bertrum and slowly let the gun hang to his side. With his eyes still on Bertrum he walked over to the small metal desk and yanked the phone from the cradle.

"Hello!"

"Nathan Travers, this is Agent Aaron Hotchner, FBI. I need you to let the hostages go."

"And I need to get out of here!"

"I think we can help each other. Let's start by letting me talk to my agents."

"I don't know about that…"

"Why not Nathan. Are they all okay?"

"For now but if I don't get what I want they'll die!"

"No one else has to die today, Nathan. Let me speak to my agents."

The SWAT commander stood next to Hotch and Rossi. His men weren't used to waiting and sitting idle. They were trained for action and Commander Ryan Craig was ready to end this standoff.

"How long do we wait for this idiot?" Craig growled.

"We've got three innocent people in there, two of them federal agents. I'm not ready to rush in and get them killed."

The three stood watching for any signs of hope. They all had been in similar situations on too many occasions. It was hard to predict the outcome; one false move and it could end in tragedy.

Travers rushed toward Reid anger and confusion flashing in his eyes. Reid flinched as his thin frame was yanked forcefully from the floor. Travers pulled him toward the desk and then shoved him hard against it.

"Talk! No tricks or your dead!"

"Hotch?" Reid's shaky voice rang in his ear.

"Reid. What's going on in there?"

Reid strained to control his emotions wanting desperately to sound strong, confident, not like the weak, unsure man he felt he had become since Maeve's death. He looked up at Travers standing way too close and listening to the conversation.

"One victim down. One agent down." His eyes now were fixed on Travers.

"How bad…"

Travers snatched the phone from Reid's hand and took control of the conversation. He seemed more sure and confident now and he was ready to list his demands. They needed to know who was in charge and he was in no mood to play games.

"That's enough. You've had your say. Listen up." He was smiling now. He could almost smell his captive's fear. "You have twenty minutes to get me a car, gassed up and ready to go. My young friend and I will take a little ride and once I get across the state line without being hindered in any way, I'll let him go."

"Twenty minutes is not enough time, Nathan…"

"Twenty minutes!" He interrupted slamming the phone down.

Morgan had been watching the whole scene in silence. He'd remained quiet allowing Reid to do the talking in hopes that his silence would send a message to the young agent that he had confidence in him.

The pain in his chest was excruciating and with his hands bound behind his back he felt as if he was being ripped apart. He was thankful for the vest it had slowed the bullet enough to save his life. Still he was bleeding and getting weaker by the minute.

"Now we wait." Travers said.

Travers shoved Reid back to the spot where he'd been sitting next to Bertrum. Reid had to establish a connection with Travers if they had any hope of survival.

"Tell more about Michael."

"Why?" He responded angrily.

"I just want to know, I guess."

"Tell me about _your_ brother, how about that!"

"Where not biological brothers just good friends…where good friends."

"What happened to change that?"

"I told you. He wasn't who I thought he was."

"Yeah. I hear you. Everybody thought Michael was so perfect! He could do no wrong."

"Really? What about your parents?"

"He was their favorite. He was smart…won all sorts of awards. Perfect!"

**Meanwhile…**

Outside, Hotch and the rest waited. He knew that he couldn't allow Nathan Travers to get away with a hostage especially one of his own. Hotch's phone rang.

"Yeah Garcia."

"I did some digging and I found something interesting."

"What?"

"The police were called out to the Travers' home two days before Michael Travers was killed. It seems the brothers didn't get along very well. Young Nathan had gone after his brother with a butcher knife and when his mother tried to intervene he slashed her arm. Took twenty-two stitches to close it up."

"Thanks, Garcia."

"Hotch…"

"We don't know anything yet, Garcia except they're alive. I'll keep you posted."

Hotch quickly ended the call; he knew how she felt about Morgan and Reid too. He didn't want her to know that Morgan had been injured, not yet, not until they both were safe.

"I think Nathan Travers may have killed his brother…"

_**Back inside…**_

"That pissed you off, didn't it Nathan." Reid said calmly.

"You're damn right it pissed me off!"

"I bet they were always taking his side."

"Always! No matter what!"

"Made you want to kick his ass, right?"

"Reid!" Morgan shouted from the other side of the room."

"I know I've wanted to kick my brother's ass!"

"Reid!" Morgan called again.

"Shut up!" Reid hissed.

Travers' attention was now on the two agents. Reid understood him. No one had really understood him before and the older agent was butting in.

"What are you doing, man?"

"I said, shut up, Morgan!"

Travers suddenly realized that Reid was talking about Morgan. He began to smile and shake his head pacing the room in glee as if he'd broken some top-secret code.

"Wait a minute. Are you talking about him?" Travers said looking across at Morgan. "He's the brother you're talking about, right?"

Reid had gone too far and he knew it. He wanted to connect with Travers but he'd gone too far. He realized too late that he wasn't really mad at Morgan. His pain was so raw and so out of control. Emotions were something that he was not well acquainted with especially those that had been so intense. He didn't understand why life for everyone else had continued unhindered while his stood still and then crumbled into tiny pieces the moment Maeve was killed. He'd never felt love like that and he'd never felt comfortable and confident to love like that before…and then it was gone. He'd place all of his hopes in Morgan's promise to bring her out alive even though he knew it was a promise made out of desperation and not even Morgan could guarantee such a thing. He needed someone to hurt like he did because he didn't know how to deal with it, or explain it. There was no empirical data that would convince him that he'd survive the bloody reality of her death. So, all he could do, all he knew to do was to strike out at the closest, strongest person he knew.

"Nathan, listen to me…"

"No. No, I get it now. That's why you came storming in here, in the dark…what did he do?"

"Nothing." Reid sounded defeated.

"You said he wasn't who you thought he was. Tell me." Travers insisted.

Travers, smiling walked over and stood in front of Morgan waiting for Reid's answer.

"He...made me a promise."

"Ahh…I get it. Hey, I know what you mean. My brother broke a promise to me too. He promised he wouldn't tell my parents that I'd gotten caught stealing at school. First chance he got that little bastard ran straight to our parents and spilled everything!"

"Then what happened?"

"My parents beat my ass! Grounded me for two weeks! My brother stood there while my parents beat me and laughed! Laughed until tears were coming down his face!"

"I bet you wanted payback?"

Travers stared down at Morgan ignoring Reid's question placing the barrel of the gun against Morgan's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked panic-stricken.

"I'm doing you a favor."

"Why?"

"Because I like you. You understand what I've gone through. Nobody has before."

"Nathan. I do understand. That's why I know that you've got to stop killing!"

He pressed the gun harder against Morgan's forehead forcing his head against the wall.

"Brothers need to understand that they can't break promises…"

"Nathan! Please!"

"Reid, it's okay…" Morgan's voice was weaker now, resigned to his fate."

"No! Morgan, I'm sorry…"

"Nathan, what happened to Michael?"

"I told you he lied." His voice was eerily calm.

"No. What happened to him? What did you do?"

"I killed him." His voice still calm.

Morgan glanced at Reid he saw the horror in his eyes. Then he closed his eyes and waited. Reid didn't know what to do or what to say. He'd suspected what Nathan had confirmed minutes before he heard his admission.

"That piece of crap next to you and his football friends followed Michael home. I had been suspended so he was alone. I had snuck out of the house to meet him. That's when I saw Bertrum and the rest of the team chasing him."

"Then what happened, Nathan?"

"They caught him and beat him down…real good! I remember feeling happy and pissed all at the same time."

"Why? Because he was your brother and you loved him?"

"Hell no! Because I wanted to be the one who beat his ass! That's why I had snuck out in the first place. They just beat me to it!"

"Then why are you killing all of them now?"

"When they left he was on the ground, crying like a little girl. I remember running up to him and laughing; laughing at him like he laughed at me a couple days before."

"Is that all that happened, Nathan?"

"I saw a big rock next to him. I picked it up. It was like he knew what I was thinking and he started begging and crying all over again. I raised that rock up over my head and I slammed it down on his little face. I can still hear the sweet sound of his bones crunching. I kept hitting him, grinding that rock into his little tattle-tale face!"

Reid struggled to process what he was hearing and seeing. Travers, still holding the gun to Morgan's forehead, Morgan still motionless and waiting and he was helpless to stop the mad man from pulling the trigger.

Things seemed to slow down like someone had pressed a magic button. Bertrum sat sniffling next to him while Travers was intent on carrying out his offer to do Reid a favor.

"NATHAN TAVERS!

The booming voice over the bullhorn shattered the hopeless silence inside the room.

"Nathan! We have your car ready!" Hotch's voice bellowed.

The man with murder on his mind seemed confused momentarily caught between his desire to escape and his need to end his brother's life again. He stood motionless for a few seconds before he glanced at Reid. It was as if he wanted Reid to tell him what to do. After all, they seemed to have formed a brotherly bound in the last several minutes…at least in his mind anyway.

"Nathan! Did you hear that? It's what you wanted, right? Now's your chance!"

"Yeah, but I have unfinished business." He said as he turned back to face Morgan.

_**To be continued…Chapter 4 coming soon! **_

_**Find out why Nathan Travers really killed the other victims!**_


	4. Chapter 4

"Unfinished business, huh! We all have unfinished business!" Reid shouted. You killed your own brother, that should have been the end of your business, am I right?"

Nathan turned his head toward Reid puzzled, the barrel of the gun still pressed against Morgan's head.

"Yeah…right." He answered even more puzzled.

"But it wasn't was it. Something happened that made it necessary to kill the others."

Nathan lowered the gun and backed away momentarily deflated and walked over to the worn metal desk where the phone sat and leaned against it in deep thought.

"They saw."

"Who saw?" Reid exhaled measuring his words carefully.

"They did…all of them. Clark James, Bucky Cartwright, Ian Michaels, Elmer Ernst, Joey Irving and that piece of crap over there, Bertrum Myers, hid in the bushes when the saw me coming while the other seven kept running."

"Let me guess they tried to blackmail you."

"I got a phone call from old Bert demanding money for his silence. He even told me that the others would be calling for their fair share too."

Nathan glanced over at Bertrum still sniveling and shaking with fear.

"The other names on your list, why do you want to kill them?"

"I couldn't take any more chances… loose ends…unfinished business, you know?"

"Yeah…unfinished business."

"There's only one thing left to decide."

"What's that?" Now Reid was confused.

"Which one of these two dies first?"

A slight smile appeared on Nathan's face as he slowly walked toward Bertrum. He seemed to derive some sort of wicked pleasure from watching the captive man squirm, his screams and pleads for mercy muffled by the gag taped across his mouth. He stared down at his victim, the sixth name on his list and slowly ran his index finger up and down the barrel of the gun.

"I like you Reid. You understand me, I think. You feel my pain." He shot a quick glance at Reid then back to Bertrum. "So, I'm going to take care of your problem first. My gift to you."

Morgan had been watching the scene play out like an unmanned car careening down a hill out of control. He had a hundred scenarios in his mind of how things would end and none of them were good. He counted the steps between himself and Nathan as he watched him come closer and closer. The gun raised and pointed and ready to send speeding hot steel point blank into his forehead.

"I want his shoes!" Reid shouted.

"What?" Nathan slowed down, three steps closer to Morgan.

"There's a saying, 'don't judge a man unless you've walked a mile in his shoes.' I want his shoes."

Nathan stood still pivoting back toward Reid.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I want his shoes and I want him to wear mine. I want him to walk the last mile of his life in my shoes. I want him to feel the pain of his lie and feel her blood on his hands!"

"Damn! You're a bigger nut job than I am." Nathan didn't quite know what to make of his new friend. "Yeah…okay…sure…I'll let you have his shoes."

Nathan pulled a pocketknife from his pocket and knelt down in front of Reid looking deep into the agent's eyes. Just before he cut the bindings around his wrist he leaned in close touching his nose to Reid's.

"If this is a trick…if you try anything…I'll kill both of you." He whispered.

"I won't try anything, I promise." Reid assured him.

Travers stood up and stepped to the side, Reid slowly pulled himself to his feet then rubbing the red marks around his wrists made his way over to Morgan. He felt Travers' eyes on him. He had a plan this was his only chance to save them all. Morgan searched his friend's eyes for a clue, anything that would tell him what he was thinking and feeling.

"Reid…look man, don't do this!"

"I want you to walk that mile…your last mile in my shoes." He said keeping his voice even.

"Look, man, I'm sorry about what happened…"

He kept looking, searching his young friend's face. He saw anger and fear then he saw something else. It was a sign that he had not lost his friend he was still in there somewhere buried beneath the anguish and the desire to blame him. He nodded slightly following Reid's eyes that were now focused on his right foot.

Reid knew that Morgan was always heavily armed when they were in the field not just relying on what was visible. Both he and Hotch always carried back up strapped to their ankles.

"Are you crazy?" He whispered

"No! I'm not crazy! My friend here is going to blow your brains out! Then you'll finally understand how I feel!"

Reid reached for Morgan's shoe using his own small frame as a shield as he cleverly reached and slid the small handgun from the ankle holster and then sliding it into the empty shoe.

"Reid! Think about this! You don't want to do this, man!"

Travers began to pace back and forth as he watched the two men. He was giddy at the thought that he'd found a kindred spirit in his captive. He was curious he couldn't quite see the expression on Morgan's face he needed to see the fear, that's what made it all worthwhile…the fear…the eyes could never fully hide the fear even in the bravest of men.

"Hurry up! Let's get this over with!" He shouted as he marched towards them.

"He's coming!" Morgan whispered. "Reid!"

"Nathan how did you expect this day to end?" Reid said his back still to him and his voice eerily calm.

"Well not like this, that's for sure." A slight chuckle punctuated the end of his statement.

"Did you expect to die?"

"What?"

He slowed down confused now wishing he had a little of his brother's smarts. He had let his guard down his gun dangling almost forgotten at his side. He was so caught up in the insanity of the young Dr. Spencer Reid and watching him remove the shoes of his partner. He had been so engaged in conversation and in awe of another man's madness that he didn't see Reid's hand reach back into the shoe that had only moments been on his partner's foot. Then he saw the gun and he saw the small thin man turn to face him aiming with a sturdy hand. He admired him in a sick way he tried because he had no other choice but to make at least an effort to beat him to the draw. He was too late, the man whom only moments earlier, had been bound defenseless and afraid to speak, was now poised to take his life. Then he felt the piercing burning ache as the bullet slammed into his chest knocking him to the ground.

Reid stood up and rushed over kicking the gun from the man's reach. He watched patiently as Nathan Travers stared unbelieving into Reid's eyes as he took his last breath. Behind them the doors of the warehouse burst open and the noise of a dozen SWAT and FBI agents filled the room armed and too late to make a difference.

**Potomac General Hospital – later**

Reid had left the rest of the team in the waiting room. He stood silently at Morgan's bedside. The doctor's report was encouraging; they'd removed the bullet, which had stopped a centimeter from his heart. The vest had slowed it enough to save his life. Morgan lay still, sedated to ward off the pain and to allow his body to begin the healing process.

Morgan opened his eyes to see Reid staring at him. He wasn't up for conversation he'd didn't want a replay of the morning. He just wanted to sleep and forget everything.

"Hey." Reid didn't know how to begin.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like somebody shot me through my bulletproof vest."

"Bullet resistant you mean."

"Yeah, whatever…"

Reid's eyes wandered around the room looking for a way to say all the things that he needed to say.

"Morgan…I'm sorry. I know you're not to blame for Maeve's death…"

"Reid, you're hurting I get it."

"No you don't get it."

Morgan winced in pain as he tried to find a comfortable position.

"Are we really going to have this conversation?"

"You're the strongest person I know. You've made it your mission to protect everybody. If you said we could save Maeve I believed it. I needed to believe it even when I knew the odds."

"I shouldn't have made that promise…Reid, I'm sorry, man."

"I don't blame you. I just didn't know what to do with…with the feelings, the pain…everybody's life just kept going as if Maeve never lived. I needed somebody else to feel my pain so that I-I-…"

"What?"

"So that I could believe I wasn't insane."

"You're not insane, Reid…your human. Even geniuses have those moments that they can't explain with those big old brains!"

Reid plopped down into the chair next to the bed.

"I almost got you killed…I almost got both of us killed…I'm sorry, Morgan."

"Reid, you saved my life! I owe you…thanks."

Reid smiled slightly and sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah you did, Kid."

"It was nothing…besides, that's what brothers are for."

"_There is a destiny, which makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own." - Edwin Markham_

**The End…**


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